Salt Lake Telegram | 1929-09-29 | Page 29 | Malta Tiny Island, but it Can Cause Plenty of Trouble for Premier

Malta Tiny Island but It Can Catt Cause Plenty of Trouble Truble for Premier Lord Strickland Manages to Get In n Bad With Italians Political Parties and the Vatican LONDON Sept 28 NEA NEA If If you care to consult Lord Strickland pr prime prinie minister of the tile wee British island of lof Malta he would tell ten you that Malta Maltais is jS the original home favorite hunting region and childhood stamping ground of most of the trouble in th the world Lord Strickland perhaps can bc be excused for for- looking hooking on Malta with witha O n. ja jaundiced c eye c In Tn pursuit of at his llis official duties there Lord Strickland has has' hasman managed managed man man- man man-j aged to got get himself In Ju b d with all alf the Italians in Malta l He is Is' also in bad with the islands island's opposition poll political parties And he ho is in bad with the thie Vatican LITTLE BUT IMPO IMPORTANT TNT Malta i. isn't a a. big bIg- Ita place hut but it I is quite important Commanding g the thc Mediterranean waters where hero they the flow low between Tunis arid alid Sicily the little island is Is' one of ot r the most important naval ba bases baes es having havins- been held ever eyer since England took it away from Napoleon L Lord rd Strickland born and reared I In Malta I largely largel responsible sibe m-sibe tor for the attainment by the Island of its self self- governing status and lender leader of 01 the thc biggest political party parly came Into his first trouble when ho hc had the Maltese Mal Ial Tal- Tal tes tese language e J made the officIal language lan Ian guage guase of- of the tIme Island The TImo he Italian population dissented vigorously and ever ever since then Lord Strickland ha has been in its bad brid books f The Thc chief t trouble trouble however came wh when n a n A Maltese friar minor was ordered ordered or or- dered expelled from tho the island by hi his ecclesiastical superior lands land's government holding that the friar was for tor his po political views intervened cl and nd prevented prevented pre pre- vented the expulsion Thereupon the Vatican sent ti representative a-representative to the island nd to look Into the matter The highest clergy In th the island island the tho bishop bishops o of Malta and Gozo Joined in the opposition t to the gov gov- In a recent letter to them Cardinal Gasparri papal secretary of state told them that the report of ot his delegate impelled him to suppo support support sup sup- po port t then them and urged them to continue con con- Irni in their attitude His report he said indicated th that t Malta was as subjected to a reign of or terror and despotism in which the tho opposition opposition tion Uon In fn parliament was disarmed and the press gagged the tho courts I threatened justice suspended the constitution in danger dangel the time country countr In a a. ferment and the church and religion op openly nt insulted a and l opposed DEFENDED RECORD Lord Strickland kland was not s1 slow w in replying He Ho declared de in the tIle island assembly that lie stood as a des descendant descend descend- end end- ant and representative of ot those who through centuries had bad suffered as ns English Catholics the loss of their property their civil status and even The assembly thereupon adopted a a. resolution reaffirming Its allegiance to the tho holy see In all things spiritual but asserting the exclusive right of ot Malta as a a. self self- governing unit of or the British empire em em- pire to deal doal with purely civil affairs without outside interference In the time meantime the tho parish priests or of Malta Matta have e passed reso- reso bishops on the Vatican's stand and the Vatican is understood to be preparIng preparing Ing InS to condemn Lord Stricklands Strickland's d' d latest actions as offensive So far th the British government has kept hands off the